Disposable Toilet De-Clogging Stick That Disinfects, Cleans &amp; Deodorizes

ABSTRACT

The disclosed toilet de clogging instrument is an embodiment of a flushable toilet stick  40  that unclogs, disinfects, cleans and dissolves away after use. Toilet stick is comprised of an elongated shaft  42  a handle portion  44  with optional serrated edges  46  and a pointed head  48  at the opposite shaft end. In addition an optional means of storing the toilet sticks in a storage box  52  on the side water storage tank  26.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/442,636 filed 2011 Feb. 14 by present inventors.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

None.

SEQUENCE LISTING

None

BACKGROUND

1. Prior Art

The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:

Pat. No. Kind Code Issue Date Patentee 2,738,529 C1 1956-03-20 Bernet 3,208,092 C1 1965-09-28 O'Leary 3,391,026 C1 1968-07-2 Leiser 4,358,861 C1 1982-11-16 Sard 5,600,856 C1 1997-02-11 Kang 6,381,763 B1 2002-05-7 Schneider 6,701,540 B1 2004-03-9 Gabriel 6,779,202 B1 2004-08-24 Alldredge 6,883,189 B2 2005-04-26 Pierce

Toilet plungers and other cleaning devices have long been used to unblock & clean toilet drains. Typical plungers are generally large, unsightly, unsanitary & difficult to store because of the limited amount of space in most bathrooms.

Because of the difficulty & unpleasantness associated with cleaning a plunger after use, the cleaning may be less than desirable as a consequence of which the plunger may be a source of contamination between periods of use. Disadvantage of a typical plunger are the disgust of many people using the old out dated plunger that has urine, feces and toilet paper clinging to it. An exposed toilet plunger is a prospective breeding ground for germs and diseases. Another disadvantage of a typical plunger is that typical plungers are commonly large, unattractive, and difficult to hide near the toilet where needed; so that frequently it is inconveniently stored away from the toilet. Furthermore, the means of storage does not always support the cleaning devices and allow them to be readily available when needed to clean or remove blockages.

Thus, while there has been substantial effort in the design of bathroom toilet plungers, the art has not been adequately responded to date with a means for flushing the device after de clogging & disinfecting the toilet. The inventive toilet stick substantially fulfills this need along with adequately storing these sticks to be readily accessible, while not occupying additional bathroom space before use.

2. Background of the Invention

A typical toilet 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1, comprised of an upwardly open bowl 12 having an annular generally horizontal upper rim 14 and side walls 16 that converge downwardly from the underside thereof to a recessed bottom well 18. A trap way passage 20 from the bowl well 18 connects over an elevated weir dam 22 to an exit passage 24, for directing liquid/waste flow via an exterior drain line to a sewer, septic field or the like (none-being shown). A water storage tank 26 typically supported vertically above the bowl 12 provides flush water that can be discharged by gravity via appropriate internal routing passages (not shown) through outlet jets 28, 30 into the bowl 12. The jets 28 direct flush water through the bowl well 18 for priming flow of water/waste therein over the dam 22 and from the toilet via exit passage 24, and the jets 30 underlying the rim 14 will direct flush water over the side walls 16 for rinsing them.

The dam 22 defines the maximum stable height along horizontal weir plane 32 that water can remain in the bowl before flowing over the dam and out the exit passage 24, which height might be 1-3 inches above the top opening of the well 18 and 4-8 inches below the bowl top 34. The trap way passage 20 extends somewhat as a cylindrical bore a short distance horizontally from the bowl well 18 before curving up and over the weir dam 22.

When the toilet is flushed, tank water flows into the bowl from both the jets 28 and 30, priming the water/waste in the well 18 to flow toward the weir dam 22 while the water level in the bowl 18 will rise above the weir dam 22, whereupon water/waste flow from the exit way passage 24 will begin. This flow further can produce a siphoning action of the bowl well water/waste in flowing over the dam effective to substantially empty the bowl well 18 and the suction is broken. Continued flush water flow into the bowl from the jets 30 will rinse the bowl side walls 16 and refill the bowl 18 to the desired stable water level just below the weir plane 32.

The now demanded low consumption toilets can release less than 1.6 gallons of water per flush; whereby the passages 20, 24 have been made smaller in order to produce adequate velocities of discharging flow velocities. By way of example, some low consumption toilets have been sized for a 1½ inch ball pass, meaning that the passages 20, 24 (approximately only ⅛ inch larger) might be only 1⅝ inch diameters. This might be contrasted against the older water saving toilets having 2½ inch ball pass passages.

A common drawback to these low consumption toilets, with the small water flushing head and volume, and the small and bending water/waste flow passages, is that the trap way passages 20 frequently become clogged by solid toilet waste/paper to preclude proper water/waste drainage from the toilet. With the toilet clogged, the flushed bowl water/waste levels can rise close to or even flow over the bowl top 34 and onto the surrounding floor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A basic object of the inventive toilet stick is to provide a compact dissolvable toilet stick that unclogs, disinfects, cleans and dissolves away after use. It consists of a flushable pointed stick with optional serrated edges. After breaking up the clog, the stick is then tossed back into the bowl, where it is flushed away after it dissolves, cleans and disinfects. Toilet stick is significantly smaller than conventional plungers while yet effective when needed for clearing toilet clogs. Furthermore, the means of storage is more attractive while being convenient and readily available when needed to clean or remove blockages.

ADVANTAGES of the Invention

In the case of the Toilet Stick, the primary benefits include, but are not limited to offering an innovative new device that quickly and easily unclogs, disinfects, and cleans a clogged toilet. The toilet stick eliminates the need to use a conventional plunger, which is typically unpleasant, messy and unsanitary.

DRAWINGS Figures

FIG. 1 is an elevational side view of a typical toilet, with only the relevant bowl passages illustrated for the sake of simplicity of the disclosure, where the subject toilet stick is illustrated in a typical operative association to clear clogs in the outlet passage.

FIG. 2 respectively illustrates an enlarged view of subject typical toilet stick.

FIG. 3 respectively illustrates typical toilet stick and side view of a typical storage box for holding toilet sticks.

FIG. 4 illustrates a simpler top view of toilet with typical toilet stick in operative association.

FIG. 5 shows an example of typical storage box of toilet sticks.

DRAWINGS - Reference Numerals 10 toilet 12 open bowl 14 upper rim 16 side walls 18 recessed bottom bowl well 20 trap way passage 22 elevated weir dam 24 exit way passage 26 water storage tank 28 jet's 30 outlet jets 32 weir plane 34 bowl top 36 clog 40 toilet stick 42 shaft 44 handle portion 46 serrated edges 48 pointed head 52 storage box 54 lid of box

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

An inventive toilet stick 40 is illustrated in FIG. 1 in operative association with the typical toilet 10, the toilet stick 40 being comprised of a elongated shaft 42 having a handle portion 44, with optional serrated edges 46 and pointed head 48 at the opposite shaft end. The toilet stick 40 is made of a composition of soluble disinfectant materials that also cleans, disinfects, deodorizes and dissolves away after unclogging the toilet.

Thus, the toilet stick with optional serrated edges 46 and shaft 42 should be sized to penetrate the clog 36 within the toilet trap way passage 20. The overall toilet stick 40 length is sized to locate its hand gripping handle portion 44 above the bowl top edge 34. The pointed head 48 should be long enough to reach into the bowl well 18 from the trap way passage 20. This would allow a user to grip the handle 44 above any toilet waste water in the bowl to manipulate the pointed head 48 through the clog 36 within the trap way passage 20.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of Toilet Stick 40 which is an innovative new device that quickly and easily unclogs, disinfects, and cleans the toilet and then dissolves away in the toilet. The effective device eliminates the need to use a conventional plunger, which is typically unpleasant, messy, and unsanitary. Toilet Stick 40 is a flushable pointed stick approximately 1 to 2 feet long, preferably (½″×½″×12 inches) but size and shape can vary slightly. Toilet stick consists of a handle portion 44, with optional serrated edges 46 and a pointed head 48. Toilet stick 40 is made of active ingredients which include but not limited to cleaning substance, deodorizing substance, disinfectant substance, and washes away with the water of the toilet. Contact with the water requires a formulation of a certain type to ensure that the toilet stick releases active ingredients and disintegrates at an appropriate rate. The toilet stick 40 may be of varying scents and colors.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of toilet stick and an optional storage box 52 for holding toilet sticks 40. For easy access, toilet sticks 40 may come packaged (preferably 6 or more) in a storage box 52. A variety of colors and scents can be offered, as well as unscented. One option for storage is to hang the storage box 52 around the exterior of the back or side of the water storage tank 26 by folding lid of box 54 back overtop of water storage tank edge 26.

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of what a typical storage box. For easy access, toilet sticks 40 may come packaged (preferably 6 or more) in a storage box 52. A variety of colors and scents can be offered, as well as unscented.

Operation—FIGS. 1, 4

As shown in FIGS. 1 & 4, when clog 36 occurs, a toilet stick 40 is easily removed from the convenient storage box 52. The toilet stick 40 is gripped and manipulated with sufficient penetration from vertically above the toilet. With a thrusting in and out movement, the pointed head 48 acting as a spear within the trap way passage 20, will penetrate and lift the clog 36 creating water openings allowing water to flow in the passages 20, 24 beyond the pointed head 48. Such water openings have been found highly effective in dislodging and breaking up waste clogs in the trap way passage 20 so it can be flushed away. The used toilet stick 40 is then released back into the open bowl 12, where it dissolves, disinfects, and cleans the toilet. Once used in the toilet, the toilet stick 40 releases active ingredients and disintegrates in the water.

While several embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, minor variations might be made from the disclosure without varying from the overall inventive concept. 

1. A hand held toilet de clogging instrument comprising an elongated shaft that gradually dissolves in water of sufficient time to accommodate use by a human being for clearing clogged toilets whereby a human can dispose of said instrument by flushing away in toilet after use.
 2. The toilet de clogging instrument of claim 1 wherein said elongated shaft with optional serrated edges having a hand gripping portion adjacent one end thereof, a pointed head fixed to the shaft adjacent the other end thereof.
 3. The said shaft of claim 2 being non extendable, and of a length to position said hand gripping portion generally at or above the bowl top edge opposite the trap way passage while said pointed head is inserted into a clogged trap way passage.
 4. The said pointed head of claim 2, operable as the toilet de clogging instrument is manipulated in the clog located in trap way passage in the manner of inward, outward thrusting and lifting of the clog as needed locally to penetrate an opening, to disfigure and break up the clog allowing water/waste past the trap way passage thereof to unblock the trap way passage.
 5. The toilet de clogging instrument of claim 1 wherein having a predetermined length of sufficient size to penetrate clog from above toilet, further comprising said shaft having overall length of less than two feet and being straight, operable to have said pointed head 8-14 inches from said hand gripping portion.
 6. The toilet de clogging instrument of claim 1 wherein said instrument is made of a composition comprising soluble disinfectant materials that has deodorizing behavior and cleaning power along with binding agents that make the materials of sufficient strength and easier to handle.
 7. The toilet de clogging instrument of claim 1 further including said instrument may also contain one or more other various agents such as preservatives, additives, coloring agents, scents and perfumes added to the composition of claim
 6. 8. The toilet de clogging instrument of claim 1 wherein said instrument is disposed of into the toilet bowl after unclogging blockage wherein releasing disinfectant and cleaning properties at an appropriate rate while dissolving into the water at a predetermined length of sufficient time.
 9. The toilet de clogging instrument of claim 1 further including a optional means of storing said toilet de clogging instruments.
 10. The storage means of claim 9 wherein comprising a container to optionally attach to the exterior of water storage tank if human desires. 